Nash Trash

Shame on me for not posting for oh... 3 months. But, please forgive me because at the end of April we moved 600 miles away from our friends and family to Nashville, Tennessee. (You can say that last part with a twang, it's okay.) In part, moving here has radically changed everything we do day to day. It was just the right time, to the right place, with the right space to truly shake up the Amato house! I'll preview some of the major green changes around our town:

1. Holy compost! I never realized how much of what we use is actually compostable! Since moving here 3 months ago, we have taken out the kitchen trash about 4 times, no joke. Once we had to because it was only half full but smelled so badly (Ryan left fish wrappers in it.) Isn't that insane?!? We use that much stuff that can be broken down by little worms into yummy soil for our garden. Currently we have a bit of a ghetto system in place as we're living in a rental home and don't want to build anything we can't move. So we're using the Bucket System. It's very complicated and I'm not sure if I have enough room here to go into detail, but basically we fill one bucket and then move onto the next. We just filled Bucket #3. I'm headed to the Goodwill Outlet (more on that later) for a larger bin to host our friendly worms and decomposing food.

Here is lonely Bucket #1. I trust you can use your imagination to insert the subsequent Bucket #2 & #3.

2. Recycling: Every city in every state has a different way of recycling. We were spoiled living in Northern Virginia (in more ways than one!). In Davidson County, the taxpayers have elected to recycle the following: cans, paper, cardboard, and newspaper. Yes, you read that right. I know you're thinking, "What the heck do you do with your actual recycling then??" I'm still on that boat. We have to collect it in our side yard in bags (since our measly recycling bin doesn't hold what we use) and make a drive 10 minutes away to sort it ourselves (gasp!) at a Recycling Center. Tip: Do not attempt to wear flip flops or open toed sandals to said Recycling Center. Some get frustrated when sorting their Clear Glass from Green Glass and angrily smash it on the pavement below. Or else they have bad aim.
       In order to reduce trips to the lovely RC, I'm trying to reuse glass jars and plastic bottles as I can but we've also made a serious attempt to reduce the amount we even bring into the house. For example- Ryan has taken to drinking Fat Tire in a can instead of New Castle in a bottle. I buy bulk so we use fewer spaghetti jars and Ryan makes our salsa from scratch. See? Easy! We also don't put much paper out cause it goes into the compost so we're not left with a whole lot for the recycling guys to pick up once a month (yes, ONCE A MONTH!)


3. Reusing: I'll post more about this, but since we moved into a new house with more space (read: walls to fill, floors to cover, outside areas to decorate) I've needed to be creative in my spending. A lot of what I've done around the house was started from a find at the monthly local Nashville Flea Market, Salvation Army or Goodwill Outlet (God's gift to bargain hunters!)

4. Growing. With 2 weeks off from work initially, I had a lot of time to get my garden started. I started from scratch and had to cut sod, till, lay top soil, fence it, plant, mulch, plant ollas (pots buried which water the roots of a plant), and then re-arrange due to some lighting issues. But enough- I'll let the pictures tell the story:

I'm learning lots of farmer lessons, ones I'm writing down so I won't make them a second year. Should have some veggies soon! I also have several herb garden plots scattered around the house in pots and hiding in places where the bunnies can't eat them.

This post has been pretty random, but I figured I needed to catch up on what we've been doing to embrace our new lifestyle of responsibility. I hesitate to use the term "Green" because it's so overused, but it does encompass everything we're trying to adjust in our lives. We have lots of room to grow and come exciting things in store: Rain Barrel Making Workshop in August and more to come!!

Stay cool Nashville- it's hot out there.

Don't Trash Your Dress- Donate It!

For those who don't know the not-so-new trend of "trash the dress", it started back in the 1990's as a way for brides and their photographers to make a statement. The brides are typically photographed in the dress in a beach or urban scene where formal dresses are not typically worn to display the contrast and show off an artistic side. The dress, in effect, is ruined by getting it totally soaked, dirty, or in other instances, ripped to shreds. This is supposedly symbolic of the wedding being done and the fact the dress will not be used again. Apparently, it's listed on Wiki as an "alternative to storing the dress".  Excuse me? What ever happened to donating your dress?? 


The whole "trash the dress" scene really started to bug me once I realized how truly wasteful it was. There are plenty of women who could benefit from a lovely used wedding gown but would otherwise not be able to afford a Priscilla of Boston or Maggie Sottero. My dress, of course, was none of those labels, or any major label, to be honest. But it was a beautiful dress that I did not want to see go to waste by going swimming in it or have it sit in my closet, never to be worn again. 


I decided to donate it, and once I finally got around to mailing it, I was really happy I did. Honestly, I wish I could've paid an extra few bucks to see who it went to and how it looked on her! Anyway, if you feel the same way I do, please consider donating your dress to a woman who could really use it. Unless your mom handmade it, and then, by all means, preserve it professionally so you can have it as an heirloom for years and years to come! 


Making Memories is an organization dedicated to "granting wishes- including memory-making events, for metastic breast cancer patients..." Their request for donations are contemporary dresses, slips and veils from 2005 to present. In turn, they hold nationwide "Brides Against Breast Cancer" tours to provide affordable options to women who are fighting breast cancer and help make their dream wedding come true. The gowns prices range from $99 to $799 and include hundreds of top designers, half of which come directly from the designers and manufacturers. 


Please send your dress (and other accessories) in garment bag to:
Gown Donations
Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation
2553 NW Division Street
Gresham, OR 97030


Someone somewhere will thank you.

Community Supported Agriculture Investment

I've been doing a lot of research lately about CSA partnerships available to us in Leesburg and Nashville (since this will be our new home in about 6 weeks). The idea of getting fresh, local produce delivered or available for pick-up weekly is so entcing. Plus the fact it is reasonably priced, comparable to most organic produce in supermarkets, and grown oftentimes in my own zip code, makes it an all around great option for us. More information about the relationships between farmer and consumer can be found on Local Harvest's website.

For those of you who don't know anything about CSA's, visit their site and read up on them. You can also use their tool to search and see if there are any near you!

We're joining the Long Hungry Creek Farm and are really excited to be a part of this year's growing season! The pick up location is a mere 1/2 mile from our front door and is every Monday afternoon. For $80 a month ($2.60 a day) we'll be able to eat locally grown organic produce that was picked that same week! Our farmer also uses biodynamic organic farming method which was born in 1924 and basically operates on the principle that the use of artificial fertilizers will have a detrimental effect on our soils, and eventually, our development. The use of cover crops, compost and manure are the main methods of this farming practice.

Though I plan on planting a garden in our new backyard, I'm also looking forward to trying new vegetables we might not otherwise choose as we join this community. We're looking forward to eating with the seasons and supporting local growers at the same time.

May-June -- lettuce, green onions, parsley, carrots, peas, swiss chard, beets, garlic, summer squashes, and new potatoes

July -- green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, melons, flowers, and fresh herbs like sweet basil, dill and oregano

August -- cukes, chard, summer squash, and carrots finish their season, but acorn and spaghetti squash, watermelons, peppers, leeks, mustard, and celery

Sept-Oct -- mustard greens, lettuces, kale, collards, chinese cabbage, bok choy, tat soi, arugula, mizuna, parsley, kohlrlbi, turnips, and daikon radishes. Enjoy the last of the tomatoes, melons and other summer crops, and get ready for sweet potatoes!

Nov-Dec -- Abundant potatoes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, garlic, gourds, and pumpkins

Join one today- you won't be disappointed!

The Story of Stuff

The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard's original in her "Story of" series. This forever changed the way Ryan & I approach the things we buy, use, and throw away.

The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water

by Annie Leonard

This is a must watch. It will change the way you think about the bottled water industry. It's WATER!

End Junk Mail!

Part of the whole green initiative we're focusing on is pre-cycling. Though I encourage you to separate your office paper, cardboard, and newspaper/magazines for recycling, wouldn't it be nice to just stop getting junk mail altogether?! This was one of my first experiments for the blog and almost four months later, I must say, it has worked wonders for our mail.

I sent letters to the agencies listed below to stop the unsolicited junk-y coupons (that are NEVER useful), magazines, catalogs, and other non-essential communication. I registered online with the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion) to opt out of pre-screened/pre-approved credit offers. And we actually stopped receiving mail we immediately threw away.

I'm unsure as to which one helped the most because some days were worse in one category than the other, but I would suggest you follow my steps and rid yourself of potential identify theft situations and annoying mail which adds nothing but clutter to your life. 

1. Mail a request to have your name (and spouse's name) removed from their list. Include both full names and your complete mailing address. 

Val-Pack Coupons

Direct Marketing
PO Box 13428
St. Petersburg, FL 33733

Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512-0643

Advo, Inc.
Consumer Assistance
PO Box 249
Windsor, CT 06095

Harte-Hanks
List Removal Services
6701 Daymeadow Dr. Suite D
Glen Burnie, MD 21060-6401 

2. Opt out online with the top dogs of the Credit Reporting Agencies. This will stop all pre-screened or pre-approved credit offers within a few weeks.

3. Register on the Do Not Call list online or via phone (using the number you want registered) 888-382-1222

4.  Check out this website which details the FCC's rules, regulations and how to opt out of pretty much everything.

5. Forward any spam or unsolicited emails to: SPAM@uce.gov 

I hope this helps you all reduce the amount of clutter and junk in your mailboxes. It leaves room for good pieces of mail! We actually received one of those last week... :) 

Anyone else have experience using the above agencies to help lower unwanted solicitations?

tap water bottles

tap water is a company based out of Canada that specializes in selling reusable glass drinking bottles. Their product is high quality, portable and non-leaking which makes it a perfect alternative to plastic water bottles. According to their website, less than 20% of plastic drinking bottles are recycled. That's really staggering to me, considering how many recycling programs and initiatives there are nation-wide.

"Using glass to bottle beverages is one of the oldest and most trusted methods for packaging liquids. It is made from naturally occurring minerals and doesn’t carry health risks, related to toxic chemicals leaching from plastic and metal containers. "

 As you may have read on the previous post, I am thrilled with my purchase from tap water. I bring it to work, filling it with our filtered water cooler water and sip on it all day. I clean it in the evening, refill, and keep it cold until I leave the next morning. I haven't dropped it (yet) but from what I've read they are fairly durable, though of course not indestructible. 

The company actually gets their bottles from a manufacturer in Italy and of course ship from Canada, so there is argument that portion of the transaction is not as "green" as I'd like, but considering all the other resources I am not wasting by using this lovely piece of glass, I'm feeling okay about the process.

Here's another tidbit from their website that made me realize how ridiculous bottled water truly is:

It’s simply impossible to get chemical-free water from a plastic bottle. Even small amounts of bacteria at bottling can multiply to a much larger problem by the time the product gets to you. It’s unrealistic to think that water bottled in plastic containers, produced at a bottling factory, transported and stored at high temperatures for months at a time, can be purer than what a basic home water filtration system can deliver. And at least two out of every five bottles of water sold around the world are simply filtered tap water. Tap water is constantly moving, staying fresh and never stagnating.  It is also filtered, disinfected, and is tested many times a day. In contrast, no filtration or disinfection requirements - and virtually no international quality standards - exist for bottled water.

Need more convincing? Go visit their website and soon you too will find yourself ordering from Rachel and the tap water family.